PM tasks religious leaders on sound pollution

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has called upon religious leaders through their reconciliation and peace committee to continue working on how to manage sound pollution in all places of worship.

The Premier made the call in Dodoma on Saturday during a symposium to commemorate 101 birthday of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

He said that there has been misleading information as the government decided to act tough on noise pollution in places of worship, bars, clubs and social halls among others.

“The government would like to clarify that all religious activities should proceed as usual and the coordination of this matter should continue under the plans of religious leaders through their reconciliation and peace committee,” he said.

Majaliwa added that the government will continue to collaborate with religious leaders in dealing with the matter and come up with the best way of running religious activities by considering people’s needs.

He said the Noise and Vibration Control Regulations of 2015 specify sound levels allowed in residential, commercial, industrial and hospital areas to protect community health.

The PM said the government is dealing with noise pollution and vibrations in worship houses, bars, clubs and social halls because they have adverse health and psychological effects.

The sounds also cause lack of concentration to students who are living nearby places of worship.

He explained that the Vice President’s Office (Union Affairs and Environment) issued specific directives to control sound pollution in recreational places in the country.

The directives also identified how the coordination should be done in places of worship through reconciliation and peace committee in order to get the best way of dealing with the matter.

The move follows increasing complaints over noise and vibration registered during 2021/2022 fiscal year.

Over 65 per cent of complaints submitted to NEMC related to noise and vibrations, indicating that stringent measures are required to address the problem.

The Environmental Law, Chapter 191, Section 106 (5 and 6) forbids establishments to make noise exceeding permitted levels, making it an offense to emit noise above permitted levels.

Environmental pollution caused by noise and vibrations is among threats to well-being, where the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies noise endangering human life in certain circumstances. The European Environmental Agency (EEA) said in its 2018 report that noise causes early deaths of children, and premature deaths.

The National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) has been making close follow up on those who engage in noise pollution and despite several reminders; the social joints’ operators do not respect the orders, causing health and psychological torture to patients, students, elders as well as premature deaths among others.

On February this year, Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union Affairs and Environment) Dr Selemani Jafo, called upon the entertainment joints and houses of worship to use noise meters and sound absorbers to ensure that communities around th places are not affected by the noise.

The minister demanded ministries, public institutions, regional secretariats and local government authorities to ensure that they carry out their duties specified in the 2021 guidelines for the control of environmental pollution related to noise and vibrations.

The noisy pollution has been largely contributed by the increasing economic and social activities as well technological advancement in residential, public transport, machinery and recreational areas.

The government came up with the guidelines to control noise and sound pollution but some have been purposely violating the rules.